English subtitles for clip: File:President Obama on Death of Osama bin Laden no watermark.webm

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Good evening. Tonight I can report to the American

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people and to the world that the United States has conducted

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an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of

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Al-Qaeda and a terrorist who's responsible for

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the murder of thousands of innocent men,

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women and children. It was nearly ten

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years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the

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worst attack on the American people in our history.

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The images of 9/11 are seared into our national

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memory. Hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless

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September sky. The twin towers collapsing to

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the ground. Black smoke billowing up from the

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Pentagon. The wreckage of flight 93

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in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved

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even more heartbreak and destruction.

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And yet, we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to

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the world. The empty seat at the dinner table.

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Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father.

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Parents who would never know the feeling of their child's embrace.

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Nearly 3000 citizens taken from us,

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leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

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On September 11th, 2001, in our time

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of grief, the American people came together.

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We offered our neighbors a hand and we offered the wounded our

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blood. We reaffirmed our ties to

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each other and our love of community and

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country. On that day, no matter where we came

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from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity

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we were, we were united as one

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American family. We were also united in

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our resolve to protect our nation and to

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bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice.

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We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by Al-Qaeda,

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an organization headed by Osama bin Laden,

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which had openly declared war on the United States and

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was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe.

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And so we went to war against Al-Qaeda to protect

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our citizens, our friends and our allies.

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Over the last ten years, thanks to the tireless and heroic

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work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals,

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we've made great strides in that effort. We've disrupted

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terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense.

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In Afghanistan we removed the Taliban government which had given bin Laden

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and Al-Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the

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globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores

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of Al-Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the

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9/11 plot. Yet Osama bin

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Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border

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into Pakistan. Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda continued to

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operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates

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across the world. And so shortly after taking

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office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA,

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to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority

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of our war against Al-Qaeda. Even as we continued our broader efforts

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to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

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Then, last August, after years of painstaking

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work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible

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lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain,

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and it took many months to run this thread to ground.

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I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed

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more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within

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a compound deep inside Pakistan. And finally,

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last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to

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take action and authorized an operation to get Osama bin

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Laden and bring him to justice.

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Today, at my direction, the United States launched a

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targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad,

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Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out

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the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.

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No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian

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casualties. After a firefight, they killed

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Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

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For over two decades, bin Laden has been Al-Qaeda's leader and

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symbol and has continued to plot attacks against our country and

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our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks

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the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat Al-Qaeda.

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Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort.

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There is no doubt that Al-Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us.

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We must, and we will remain vigilant at

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home and abroad. As we do, we must also reaffirm

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that the United States is not, and never will be at war with Islam.

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I've made it clear, just as President Bush did

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shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.

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Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of

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Muslims. Indeed, Al-Qaeda has slaughtered scores

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of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his

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demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human

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dignity. Over the years, I've repeatedly

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made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if

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we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we've done.

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But it's important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan

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helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was

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hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan

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as well and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

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Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also

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spoken with their Pakistani counterparts.

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They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our

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nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue

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to join us in the fight against Al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

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The American people did not choose this fight.

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It came to our shores and started with the

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senseless slaughter of our citizens.

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After nearly ten years of service, struggle and

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sacrifice, we know well the costs of

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war. These efforts weigh on me every time I,

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as commander in chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost

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a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member

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who's been gravely wounded. So Americans

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understand the costs of war. Yet as

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a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened,

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nor stand idly by when our people have been killed.

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We will be relentless in defense of our citizens

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and our friends and allies. We will be true to

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the values that make us who we are. And on nights

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like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved

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ones to Al-Qaeda's terror, justice has been

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done. Tonight, we give thanks to the

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countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who've worked tirelessly

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to achieve this outcome. The American people

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do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight

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they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result

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of their pursuit of justice. We give thanks for the

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men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism,

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patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve

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our country. And they are part of a generation that has

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borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

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Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11

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that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in

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our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes

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to prevent another attack on our shores. And tonight,

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let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on

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9/11. I know that it has,

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at times, frayed. Yet today's achievement is

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a testament to the greatness of our country and

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the determination of the American people. The cause

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of securing our country is not complete, but tonight we

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are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set

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our mind to. That is the story of our history,

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whether it's the pursuit of prosperity for our people or the

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struggle for equality for all our citizens,

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our commitment to stand up for our values abroad and

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our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

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Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of

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wealth or power, but because of who we are.

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One nation under God,

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indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Thank you. May God bless you, and may God bless the United

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States of America.